Welcome to the gushfest. I'm listening to airport sounds supplied on the new website for Up In The Air because Jason Reitman is the best comedic director working today and if airport sounds are all he sees fit for me to hear right now than airport sounds it is. On this, the inaugural 10th post, it's fitting that we should break the mold.
There are things you get from a clip that you can't get from a trailer, the most important being a sense of pacing and a feel for the dialogue. It's not so surprising then that a director like Reitman, best know for comedic dialogue that's to smart to be real but feels real and enough camera sense to keep himself out of the way of the exceptional performances he pulls from his actors, should offer us a clip rather than the standard mashup of his best lines put to mildly compelling music.
A clip gives you the best of both worlds as far as trailers are concerned. You generate interest while keeping your best weapons secret . It's like Weezer releasing the Buddy Holly single only for you to find out about The Sweater Song and Say It Ain't So.
Clooney appears in good form. The charmer-comes-undone role is a nice combo of his is poorer efforts to portray frazzled quirky characters and the stock Oceansy Clooney. I also like Vera Farmiga, as a more disconnected professional, Departedesque character, rather than her most recent sloppy-horror effort.
Long story short, I'm not up in the air on this one. Reitman looks to be in his usual top form. With a fantastic adaptation, a great cast, and some subtle lighting in toe, he consistently reaches the highest level of comedy, intelligence.
The Right Man
Labels:
clips,
comedy,
film,
George Clooney,
Jason Reitman,
movies,
trailers,
Up In The Air
Only
Sorry I've been away, but paid work takes precedence. And now on with the show...
I've been watching the usual trailers and they mostly flitted in an out of my attention for the 2:30 they were on. That is, until I came across Only, a film that looks like it was made on $75 and a shitload of Boxes of Joe, and yet the trailer was mesmerizing.
Wet and Rusting, by Menomena. The song provides so much atmosphere for the trailer I had to find it; it's part of what keeps me thinking about the movie, so ominous and romantic, mysterious then innocent. I've listened to a bunch of the artists listed on the film's website and I can say that the music supervision on Only is superior, but what else makes the trailer so appealing.
For one, something happens on this day... or doesn't... I can't tell, but if nothing happens then I have just as many questions. Aside from the subtle mystery of the day, the young actors look amazing, at least good enough to carry the film which is saying something. Jacob Switzer and Elena Hudgins Lyle seem inspired and a little uncomfortable, like kids in real life. Everything about the trailer begs to have light shed on it. Like there are layers at work, but because we know so little we can't get to them just below the surface. The Writing/Directing combo of Ingrid Veninger and Simon Reynolds (both did both) seem to have created theses young characters with such depth and care that, like real people, I don't want to judge them to quickly.
I know I usually say a little more, but I don't want to be guilty of over kill. I'm looking forward to the story of Vera and Daniel... I want to take a girl I like.
I've been watching the usual trailers and they mostly flitted in an out of my attention for the 2:30 they were on. That is, until I came across Only, a film that looks like it was made on $75 and a shitload of Boxes of Joe, and yet the trailer was mesmerizing.
Wet and Rusting, by Menomena. The song provides so much atmosphere for the trailer I had to find it; it's part of what keeps me thinking about the movie, so ominous and romantic, mysterious then innocent. I've listened to a bunch of the artists listed on the film's website and I can say that the music supervision on Only is superior, but what else makes the trailer so appealing.
For one, something happens on this day... or doesn't... I can't tell, but if nothing happens then I have just as many questions. Aside from the subtle mystery of the day, the young actors look amazing, at least good enough to carry the film which is saying something. Jacob Switzer and Elena Hudgins Lyle seem inspired and a little uncomfortable, like kids in real life. Everything about the trailer begs to have light shed on it. Like there are layers at work, but because we know so little we can't get to them just below the surface. The Writing/Directing combo of Ingrid Veninger and Simon Reynolds (both did both) seem to have created theses young characters with such depth and care that, like real people, I don't want to judge them to quickly.
I know I usually say a little more, but I don't want to be guilty of over kill. I'm looking forward to the story of Vera and Daniel... I want to take a girl I like.
Labels:
film,
Ingrid Veninger,
movies,
Only,
Onlythemovie,
Simon Reynolds,
trailers
Love In An Open Field
So it seems that spring is in the air. Summer romance flicks abound and instead of fighting it why not take a DoubleFeature Friday to have a look at some of this summer's selection. I know it's not Friday... but as the power went out yesterday we'll have to make an adjustment. So here it is Tripleplay Saturday aka The Summer of Love in a Field.
Ya got me, there's no field in 500 Days of Summer, but it still looks like the best romantic comedy for 20-35 year olds since High Fidelity... and a lot of people have filtered in an out of that group since 2000. Well, to all the new members welcome, and to those of you retuning for year 15 welcome back. It's been a long time since I've been interested in a romcom. The trailer works for a number of reasons but we only have time for 2, Joesph and Zooey. They just feel right. They look like a couple, and sound like a couple, and even if they're totally different people, which I doubt, they're talented enough actors that I don't question them for a second, unlike say Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner, or Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. The indie soundtrack, and the emphasis that's placed on it, should add to the "nostalgia" or increase whatever nostalgia you can get out of a group who've only cared about girls for 10-15 years. In the end there's no denying it, 500 Days looks like the perfect movie for you and that girl your kind of seeing... unofficially. I mean, we're still young.
I'd equate The Time Traveler's Wife to Spanglish without the humor, or No Reservations having a child with Jumper, then leaving Jumper for Click. The premise could be interesting, and acting could be decent, but it's a real 50/50. Bana and McAdams each have a touch and go history of middling to solid performances. The writing looks sappy as hell, but it's a trailer and we should applaud their honesty because I doubt the movie is gonna end with many dry eyes. The fact that TTTW was a best selling novel means it could be 2009's The Notebook, but I doubt it. This one will have to wait for it's HBO release before I see it but I'll have a box of tissues just in case it gets a little dusty (shout to Filmspotting).
I'm a sucker for reinvention. I love when directors find new ways to use a talented actor who, maybe, has fallen out of favor. Such is the case with Michelle Pfeiffer in Cheri. Other than the possibility of a revival performance, though I was the one fan of StarDust, why does Cheri look many light years better than TTTW? Simple, the writing looks dry and smart, funny and seductive, and in short spot on ol' chappy. And then there's the acting. While Bana and McAdams are decent, Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates are splendid, not to mention Rupert Friend, fresh off the much lauded over The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The trailer looks beautifully whimsical and bitterly funny. Pfeiffer's best characters have always been unrelenting, a hardened, uncompromising, unapologetic beauty. She looks softer in the trailer, but I think it's to disguise because she sounds a sharp as ever. In fact, this might not be a reinvention as much as reintroduction... in which case, glad to meet you again Ms. Pfeiffer it's good to have you back.
Ya got me, there's no field in 500 Days of Summer, but it still looks like the best romantic comedy for 20-35 year olds since High Fidelity... and a lot of people have filtered in an out of that group since 2000. Well, to all the new members welcome, and to those of you retuning for year 15 welcome back. It's been a long time since I've been interested in a romcom. The trailer works for a number of reasons but we only have time for 2, Joesph and Zooey. They just feel right. They look like a couple, and sound like a couple, and even if they're totally different people, which I doubt, they're talented enough actors that I don't question them for a second, unlike say Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner, or Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. The indie soundtrack, and the emphasis that's placed on it, should add to the "nostalgia" or increase whatever nostalgia you can get out of a group who've only cared about girls for 10-15 years. In the end there's no denying it, 500 Days looks like the perfect movie for you and that girl your kind of seeing... unofficially. I mean, we're still young.
I'd equate The Time Traveler's Wife to Spanglish without the humor, or No Reservations having a child with Jumper, then leaving Jumper for Click. The premise could be interesting, and acting could be decent, but it's a real 50/50. Bana and McAdams each have a touch and go history of middling to solid performances. The writing looks sappy as hell, but it's a trailer and we should applaud their honesty because I doubt the movie is gonna end with many dry eyes. The fact that TTTW was a best selling novel means it could be 2009's The Notebook, but I doubt it. This one will have to wait for it's HBO release before I see it but I'll have a box of tissues just in case it gets a little dusty (shout to Filmspotting).
I'm a sucker for reinvention. I love when directors find new ways to use a talented actor who, maybe, has fallen out of favor. Such is the case with Michelle Pfeiffer in Cheri. Other than the possibility of a revival performance, though I was the one fan of StarDust, why does Cheri look many light years better than TTTW? Simple, the writing looks dry and smart, funny and seductive, and in short spot on ol' chappy. And then there's the acting. While Bana and McAdams are decent, Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates are splendid, not to mention Rupert Friend, fresh off the much lauded over The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The trailer looks beautifully whimsical and bitterly funny. Pfeiffer's best characters have always been unrelenting, a hardened, uncompromising, unapologetic beauty. She looks softer in the trailer, but I think it's to disguise because she sounds a sharp as ever. In fact, this might not be a reinvention as much as reintroduction... in which case, glad to meet you again Ms. Pfeiffer it's good to have you back.
No Transformers Just Transformation
It was all going to be so easy. I was planning to sit here and tell you how Transformers 2 looks just as good as you'd expect, and it does. But honestly, screw Transformers. The movie I'll spend my money on this weekend is a different brand of action-packed.
I was on the edge of my desk chair during the 2:30 trailer for Kathryn Bigelow's, The Hurt Locker. I can't really think of much to compare it with, but that's not a problem, it's a strength. Bigelow brought us the actioniers staple Point Break almost twenty years ago (that's right it came out the same year as Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey), she must have spent all that time learning.
So, why is The Hurt Locker is the best looking trailer of the year?
1. After a few seconds of the trailer, you know there are going to be great moments of high tension. The suspense and action are so obviously built into the life of the main character that the trailer doesn't have to focus on them. This leaves time for a rare sight in action trailers... character. It's obvious that Jeremy Renner, who plays Staff Sergeant Will James, is a wreckless man with a haunted past, but he's also funny, charming, a guys guy... I won't go on, but I could. And that's sort of the point, I feel like I know so much about this character already and I haven't seen more than 2 minutes of his life.
2. The trailer also does a nice job of changing tones. It hits suspense, action, comedy, and tragedy without ever seeming forced or disjointed.
3. They don't give away all their secrets. I railed on GI Joe for not using more Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but sometimes it's best to keep a cameo to yourself. Following up on a killer late apperance In Burges, Ralph Finnes will be somewhere in this picture and I can't wait to find out where.
4. David Mores... The man played George Washington, perfectly I might add. He's a fantastic actor and he should be in every war movie that needs white people. Sorry, no Letters From Iwo Jima, Ken Watanabe needs to eat too.
I was on the edge of my desk chair during the 2:30 trailer for Kathryn Bigelow's, The Hurt Locker. I can't really think of much to compare it with, but that's not a problem, it's a strength. Bigelow brought us the actioniers staple Point Break almost twenty years ago (that's right it came out the same year as Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey), she must have spent all that time learning.
So, why is The Hurt Locker is the best looking trailer of the year?
1. After a few seconds of the trailer, you know there are going to be great moments of high tension. The suspense and action are so obviously built into the life of the main character that the trailer doesn't have to focus on them. This leaves time for a rare sight in action trailers... character. It's obvious that Jeremy Renner, who plays Staff Sergeant Will James, is a wreckless man with a haunted past, but he's also funny, charming, a guys guy... I won't go on, but I could. And that's sort of the point, I feel like I know so much about this character already and I haven't seen more than 2 minutes of his life.
2. The trailer also does a nice job of changing tones. It hits suspense, action, comedy, and tragedy without ever seeming forced or disjointed.
3. They don't give away all their secrets. I railed on GI Joe for not using more Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but sometimes it's best to keep a cameo to yourself. Following up on a killer late apperance In Burges, Ralph Finnes will be somewhere in this picture and I can't wait to find out where.
4. David Mores... The man played George Washington, perfectly I might add. He's a fantastic actor and he should be in every war movie that needs white people. Sorry, no Letters From Iwo Jima, Ken Watanabe needs to eat too.
Labels:
film,
Jeremy Renner,
Kathryn Bigelow,
movies,
The Hurt Locker,
trailers
The Inagural HomeMadeMonday
First, a transparent moment, documentaries are not a specialty of mine. Boring is a strong word, it's more that historically I just haven't cared. They're hard to find out about, and even harder to find unless you live in NY or LA. This mild adversity made for a welcome surprise once I got to scouring the trailerscape for our first official HomeMadeMonday: Not only was there a wealth of interesting stories/people/topics, but they didn't look homemade at all... they looked, great.
Pressure Cooker looked great, but so did Unmistaken Child, unfortunately both are already out. I'll go see them, but being in theaters was a good enough reason for a d.q. The Cove looks like Free Willy meets Behind Enemy Lines (in a good way), and it comes July 31 which means I can save it until next week for the maximum effect.
All this prelude, it's like a calm country day with a gray swirling wind on the horizon, or the murmur of a stadium filled with people as the lights go out...
It's a hard pick to justify if you're not a music fan, but needless if you are.
It Might Get Loud doesn't come out until August 14, and even though I'll spend the next month and a half salivating while I relisten to each of their catalogues in turn, there are other docs coming out sooner that could have been featured. Another piece of ammunition for the naysayers, is the fact that it looks like something IFC or the Sundance Channel would have on Tuesday night. I can't say there's an obvious story here, and lack of story is typically my problem with documentaries. They just cover something, news like, rather than create an engaging story to put their subject on display. The trailer for TMGL manages overcome both of these problems. First, by having such an interesting subject, and second, by having such a ridiculously interesting subject.
In the world of trailers, especially documentary trailers, creating an appetite is the prime objective and anyone who's picked up a guitar, or Guitar Hero, has imagined having their icons all sit around and talk shop. Jimmy, Jack, and the Edge are different enough so that each will bring his own crowd, and yet similar enough that if you like one you won't be turned off by the others. And as for lack of story, no story... no problem. Director, Davis Guggenheim, who brought us Truth in An Inconvenient fashion, uses a little slight of hand to make you think your getting Cindarella Man. He shows you each man on his home turf. They meet on a raised stage that looks like a boxing ring where the ropes are replaced by Marshall Stacks. Finally, Jack White lays it all on the table while he heads for the showdown "...whats gonna happen? Probably a fist fight." Well, probably not, but enough reverb to punch you in the face... check and triple check.
Pressure Cooker looked great, but so did Unmistaken Child, unfortunately both are already out. I'll go see them, but being in theaters was a good enough reason for a d.q. The Cove looks like Free Willy meets Behind Enemy Lines (in a good way), and it comes July 31 which means I can save it until next week for the maximum effect.
All this prelude, it's like a calm country day with a gray swirling wind on the horizon, or the murmur of a stadium filled with people as the lights go out...
It's a hard pick to justify if you're not a music fan, but needless if you are.
It Might Get Loud doesn't come out until August 14, and even though I'll spend the next month and a half salivating while I relisten to each of their catalogues in turn, there are other docs coming out sooner that could have been featured. Another piece of ammunition for the naysayers, is the fact that it looks like something IFC or the Sundance Channel would have on Tuesday night. I can't say there's an obvious story here, and lack of story is typically my problem with documentaries. They just cover something, news like, rather than create an engaging story to put their subject on display. The trailer for TMGL manages overcome both of these problems. First, by having such an interesting subject, and second, by having such a ridiculously interesting subject.
In the world of trailers, especially documentary trailers, creating an appetite is the prime objective and anyone who's picked up a guitar, or Guitar Hero, has imagined having their icons all sit around and talk shop. Jimmy, Jack, and the Edge are different enough so that each will bring his own crowd, and yet similar enough that if you like one you won't be turned off by the others. And as for lack of story, no story... no problem. Director, Davis Guggenheim, who brought us Truth in An Inconvenient fashion, uses a little slight of hand to make you think your getting Cindarella Man. He shows you each man on his home turf. They meet on a raised stage that looks like a boxing ring where the ropes are replaced by Marshall Stacks. Finally, Jack White lays it all on the table while he heads for the showdown "...whats gonna happen? Probably a fist fight." Well, probably not, but enough reverb to punch you in the face... check and triple check.
Labels:
Davis Guggenheim,
documentary,
film,
It Might Get Loud,
jack white,
Jimmy page,
movies,
the edge,
trailers
Woody's At Work
In the Friday Double Feature we choose one trailer from a film opening a ways off and one opening this weekend, and provide a brief look at both.
This week TrailerTaste is spanning the spectrum of comedy with the new Woody Allen pic Whatever Work, and first timer Ruben Fleisher's Zombieland.
The trailer for Whatever Works is exactly what I expected right down to disliking Larry David as the stand in Allen character. What I didn't expect, is that by the end of the trailer I wouldn't mind. David seems to blend into the Allen pastiche in a way I didn't think he would. The supporting characters look as lively and intolerable as always. Patricia Clarkson reprises her role as an Allen lady and continues to make a case for second place. Evan Rachel Wood is the new Allen girl, and the subtle differences between her and Scarlett Johansson, like having talent, should add a little flavor to his recently bland versions of the Diane Keaton Memorial character.
A monologue and some laughs are all you need in a Woody Allen trailer and Whatever Works delivers both.
Second up we have the unexpected, Zombieland. Not due out until October, this running-zombie comedy stars Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, and Jesse Eisenberg, who's only allowed in studio movies ending with 'land'. Harrelson steals the trailer, obviously, and he seems to be in Kingpin form. "Zombie kill of the week" might just be the most quotable line I've heard in a long time, and a surefire entry into the Zombie cannon. Other than that there isn't much to say, its Zombies, it's Woody at his best, and to top it all off, reports of a Bill Murray cameo... as a Zombie. It's been 5 years since Shaun of the Dead, as far as I'm concerned the Zombie apocolypse can't come soon enough. Just thank God there's no more room in hell.
**note** Zombieland looks so good we hope to get a Zombie expert to put together a more complete take on it as October nears.
This week TrailerTaste is spanning the spectrum of comedy with the new Woody Allen pic Whatever Work, and first timer Ruben Fleisher's Zombieland.
The trailer for Whatever Works is exactly what I expected right down to disliking Larry David as the stand in Allen character. What I didn't expect, is that by the end of the trailer I wouldn't mind. David seems to blend into the Allen pastiche in a way I didn't think he would. The supporting characters look as lively and intolerable as always. Patricia Clarkson reprises her role as an Allen lady and continues to make a case for second place. Evan Rachel Wood is the new Allen girl, and the subtle differences between her and Scarlett Johansson, like having talent, should add a little flavor to his recently bland versions of the Diane Keaton Memorial character.
A monologue and some laughs are all you need in a Woody Allen trailer and Whatever Works delivers both.
Second up we have the unexpected, Zombieland. Not due out until October, this running-zombie comedy stars Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, and Jesse Eisenberg, who's only allowed in studio movies ending with 'land'. Harrelson steals the trailer, obviously, and he seems to be in Kingpin form. "Zombie kill of the week" might just be the most quotable line I've heard in a long time, and a surefire entry into the Zombie cannon. Other than that there isn't much to say, its Zombies, it's Woody at his best, and to top it all off, reports of a Bill Murray cameo... as a Zombie. It's been 5 years since Shaun of the Dead, as far as I'm concerned the Zombie apocolypse can't come soon enough. Just thank God there's no more room in hell.
**note** Zombieland looks so good we hope to get a Zombie expert to put together a more complete take on it as October nears.
Labels:
film,
Kingpin,
Larry David,
movies,
Shaun of the Dead,
Whatever Works,
Woody Allen,
Woody Harrelson,
Zombieland
Army Of Dumb
So you're going with Dennis Quaid and Christopher Eccleston... that's your play Paramount. You got it so right with the Transformers trailer and yet so woefully wrong here that it pains me to say... I'm no longer excited for G.I. Joe. (tear)
You could have given me nothing Paramount, nothing, and I would have been there opening night, but that's the mysterious and awesome power of the trailer. So let's find the black box, as well as my child-like excitement and wonder... I'm sure it's here in the wreckage.
1. Everyone wants to talk about movie stars... "who's in the movie?" "I heard so and so is in the movie," but trailer stars are just as important. Watch a Transformers trailer , either of them, and what do you see? You see Shia 'NoNoNo' Labeouf, Meghan The Fox, and a heap of transformers. What you don't see is 2 minutes dominated by Jon Voight and John Turturro. But why is that you may ask. To that there's only an easy answer... NOBODY CARES THAT THEY'RE IN THE MOVIE.
Sure, it's great to have talented actors in the supporting rolls of your summer tentpole, in fact it's probably a solid idea. That doesn't mean you make them the stars of your trailer. I'm all for wetting the appetite (see Godzilla, King Kong, Cloverfield), but you have the documented hunkyness of Channing Tatum and the undeniable charm of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and you stick me with Marlon Waynes. We're not happy, we're not singing, and we're certainly not brothers. In fact, I don't even know you any more Paramount.
2. The trailer closes with the most classic of mistakes..."From the Director of." In this case it's The Mummy. Now I have no love for The Mummy, but I don't hate it either. I do, however, know many people who think it's a terribly stupid movie that's overly CGIed starring the poorman's Nick Cage. So why give them something to hate. G.I. Joe sells itself, especially after the successful update of Tranformers.
3. When the CGI looks ehh in the trailer, it only looks bigger in the theater.
It might still be a cash cow but just a little more planning and you'd have had my 10 bones, but perhaps I'll let the real heros tell it...
**Note** The treehouse is a metaphore.
You could have given me nothing Paramount, nothing, and I would have been there opening night, but that's the mysterious and awesome power of the trailer. So let's find the black box, as well as my child-like excitement and wonder... I'm sure it's here in the wreckage.
1. Everyone wants to talk about movie stars... "who's in the movie?" "I heard so and so is in the movie," but trailer stars are just as important. Watch a Transformers trailer , either of them, and what do you see? You see Shia 'NoNoNo' Labeouf, Meghan The Fox, and a heap of transformers. What you don't see is 2 minutes dominated by Jon Voight and John Turturro. But why is that you may ask. To that there's only an easy answer... NOBODY CARES THAT THEY'RE IN THE MOVIE.
Sure, it's great to have talented actors in the supporting rolls of your summer tentpole, in fact it's probably a solid idea. That doesn't mean you make them the stars of your trailer. I'm all for wetting the appetite (see Godzilla, King Kong, Cloverfield), but you have the documented hunkyness of Channing Tatum and the undeniable charm of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and you stick me with Marlon Waynes. We're not happy, we're not singing, and we're certainly not brothers. In fact, I don't even know you any more Paramount.
2. The trailer closes with the most classic of mistakes..."From the Director of." In this case it's The Mummy. Now I have no love for The Mummy, but I don't hate it either. I do, however, know many people who think it's a terribly stupid movie that's overly CGIed starring the poorman's Nick Cage. So why give them something to hate. G.I. Joe sells itself, especially after the successful update of Tranformers.
3. When the CGI looks ehh in the trailer, it only looks bigger in the theater.
It might still be a cash cow but just a little more planning and you'd have had my 10 bones, but perhaps I'll let the real heros tell it...
**Note** The treehouse is a metaphore.
Labels:
bad CGI,
channing tatum,
film,
G.I. Joe,
gi joe,
joseph gordon-levitt,
movies,
parmount,
stephen sommers
Jonzen Hard
In the name of transparency, I'll say that I'm a big fantasy adventure fan. From The Princess Bride to it's ugly step daughter StarDust, from 1971 Spielberg to 1993 Spielberg, from The Sorcerer's Stone to The Deathly Hallows 2, I love em all. But like all of us, I love some more than others. The Princess Bride might very well be my favorite movie.. it's close, and yet watching the TPB trailer makes me feel for Fred Savage... "do we have to grandpa."
That being said, if Spike Jonez's Where the Wild Things Are is half the movie TPB is, it'll be wonderful. We'll have to wait for Ebert and A.O. to tell us if that's the case, but in the mean time the trailer is out and it's fantastic.
I know, but what makes it so great?
1. The music, Arcade Fire's "Wake up", is spot on for the feel, hope, the transition from youth to not-quite-youth, and the wild unknown, I liked this song before, but Spike's music background couldn't have hurt in the selection process.
2. I don't know anything about the movie that I didn't know from the beautiful Maurice Sendak book which comes in at only ten sentences long. Obama recently read it at the White House Easter Egg roll and even he couldn't drag it out more than 5 minutes, so you know that giving away to much could have been an easy trap to fall into. With such revered source material, they might have treated WTWTA like Titanic, the old you-know-the-ending-but-here's-the-story ploy. Instead, Spike, and the creators of the trailer, chose to keep some secrets. They treat us like we've never seen this world before, which is great because if the movie is done well then we never have.
For the stunning visual flashes and touching emotional tones that make up this tornado of a trailer you can thank the people at The Ant Farm. They've done so many of my favorite trailers down on the Farm and though they were robbed of a Golden Trailer for best in show, by Star Trek, they did walk away with a Trailer for Best Music.
So here's my first award... for the best trailer ever for a Spike Jonez film based on a favorite childhood story, the first ever Tasty award goes to...drumroll... The Ant Farm. Thank you guys for reminding me what it was to be a kid without treating me like one.
That being said, if Spike Jonez's Where the Wild Things Are is half the movie TPB is, it'll be wonderful. We'll have to wait for Ebert and A.O. to tell us if that's the case, but in the mean time the trailer is out and it's fantastic.
I know, but what makes it so great?
1. The music, Arcade Fire's "Wake up", is spot on for the feel, hope, the transition from youth to not-quite-youth, and the wild unknown, I liked this song before, but Spike's music background couldn't have hurt in the selection process.
2. I don't know anything about the movie that I didn't know from the beautiful Maurice Sendak book which comes in at only ten sentences long. Obama recently read it at the White House Easter Egg roll and even he couldn't drag it out more than 5 minutes, so you know that giving away to much could have been an easy trap to fall into. With such revered source material, they might have treated WTWTA like Titanic, the old you-know-the-ending-but-here's-the-story ploy. Instead, Spike, and the creators of the trailer, chose to keep some secrets. They treat us like we've never seen this world before, which is great because if the movie is done well then we never have.
For the stunning visual flashes and touching emotional tones that make up this tornado of a trailer you can thank the people at The Ant Farm. They've done so many of my favorite trailers down on the Farm and though they were robbed of a Golden Trailer for best in show, by Star Trek, they did walk away with a Trailer for Best Music.
So here's my first award... for the best trailer ever for a Spike Jonez film based on a favorite childhood story, the first ever Tasty award goes to...drumroll... The Ant Farm. Thank you guys for reminding me what it was to be a kid without treating me like one.
Labels:
film,
Maurice Sendak,
movies,
Spike Jonez,
The Ant Farm,
trailers,
Where the wild thing are
Before the Curtin
Since this is the first post, and it will forever be referenced by computers when they look back at humans and our fascination with movies, it's important to set the stage. Computers won't have time to watch whole movies, and I'm going for that "Post-apocalyptic robot market" so I'll be taking a look at the little movies that get us all excited for the big movies they rarely resemble.
I consider a successful trailer to be a brief, compelling story with an unresolved endi... (It's that easy.) As we go, I'm sure we'll approach some of the specifics of comedy v. tragedy, star driven v. plot driven, blockbuster v. indie and the many other criteria that play a role in how execs try to con us into the theaters and out of our popcorn money.
The final note before we begin is to say that I truely do love the finished product, which is to say movies, but everyone talks about movies. I'd wager that the better talk comes during the trailers. Would you see that? I'll see that one. Is that Elijah Wood's voice...? Is he Ed Wood's son? WHO DOESN'T LOVE TRAILERS.
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